Improvement in corn-planters



J. LL. SMITH.

'Corn Plamer Patented Ot. 6, 1863.

No.V 40,194.

wd. M

u NiTED STATES Prion.

4ATENT IMPROVEMENT `IN CORN-PLANTERS.

Speciication forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,194, dated October 6, 1863.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, J. L. SMrTH,'bf Neoga,

in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters; and I hereby declare that the following is a true and exact description of the same, referencebein g had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. l

The nature of my invention consists in the arrangement of certain devices, in the manner hereinafter described, for the purpose of opening the soil and planting corn.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my machine. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a side view of the furrow-openers and their attachments. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the joint-arm which operates the seed-slide.

The letter C in Fig. 1 represents the tive pieces, which, with the crossties D, constitute the frame of the machine. The two outer pieces, C, on each side are sufficiently near together barely to admit the wheels B and B2 to play between them, respectively.

The axles of the two wheels rest upon the upper sufaces of C, 'to which they are attached by staples.

Thev front of the frame is supported by the wheels D. The axle of the wheels D works between two metal plates, K, one at the bottom and the other at the top of the end of the center piece ofthe frame, which extends some distance beyond the front tie, D. In the opening between the plates K space is given to the axle to turn short tothe right or left, and thus give to the body of the machine the direction desired.

'Ihecrank N, which gives motion to the rod g, is nfastened to the end of the axle of B2, which projects beyond the outside of the frame. The opposite end of y plays on the joint-arm h, which extends to the upright j, and is fastened to j and supported by a brace underneath. (See Fig. 2.) Thelower end of j works in a hole in the platform E, and the upper end in the bearing k, which is supported by two branches extending downward, and fastened by screws to the platform E.

m represents the seed boxes, and u the slide, passing through them at bottom. From the upright)- thejoint-arm o extends over the slide n. o terminates in a ring raised sufficiently above n not to interfere with its motion. Midway of the length of o there is a joint which admits of the ring end of o being raised until its side rests against the spring s, where it is supported when it becomes necessary to stop the action of slide n.

t represents the bolt on n, against which the ring on o strikes to give motion to n.

F represents the furrow-openers, placed under the platform E and playing vertically on the hinges P, Fig. l. The furrowopeners F are made of plate metal, and the ends immediately under the seed-boxes are split open vertically, forming twowings which diverge from the point of bifurcation, leaving space between them for the seed to passs through to the soil. The furrow-openers F are'each supported by two curved braces, H, the upper ends of these braces being fastened to the har L. Under the center of bar L, and extending back to near the drivers seat, is 'the foot-lever T, supported by and Working in the up right V.

The catch I is fastened to C at one end, the opposite end resting on thc top of lever T.

In order to raise the furrow-openers F from the soil, the operator presses with his foot upon the catch I. This raises the-opposite end of lever T, and with it the bar L, the curved braces H, and the furrow-openers F. When the operator Wishes to drive the furrow-open* ers deeper into the earth he does so by pressing with his feet on the bar L.

The operating of the seed-slide is as follows: The rod g gives a horizontal reciprocating motion to the joint-arm h, with which it is connected. h imparts its motion to the upright j, andj acts on n through the medium of arm 0,and the ring on joint-arm 0, having the bolt t within its circumference, strikes the bolt first on one side and then on the other, driving the seed-slide n until the openings in it get opposite to the space between the wings in F, through which the seed reaches the soil.

The advantage of operating the seed-slide with the ring is that during the short interval that it takes the ring to strike the bolt t on opposite sides the grain has time to settle on the catch I, the bar L, the curved braces H, the slide and be in position to pass through and the furrow-openersF,the whole combined the openings made for its discharge. and arranged as herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, what f I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, JAMES L' SMIFH' is- Witnesses:

The rod g, the joint-arm h, the upright j, CYRUs D. GREENE7 the joint-arm o, the spring` s, the foot-lever T, J. W. ORR. 

